Police launch manhunt for cultists, robbers in Bayelsa
The Bayelsa State police command has directed its tactical teams to deal decisively with cultists and armed robbers in the state.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Asinim Butswat, in a statement yesterday in Yenagoa, said this is sequel to several reported cases of cultism and armed robbery in Yenagoa metropolis and its An FCT High Court in Maitama has threatened to foreclose the prosecution’s case in the ongoing trial of one Matthew Ankyoor accused of beating his pregnant wife to death.
The trial judge, Justice Peter Affen, noted that the attitude of the police prosecutor in the case, Donatus Abah, has been below par, adding that the prosecutor had been absent from trial on previous occasions without justifiable reason.
When the matter was called, yesterday, the prosecutor was again absent without sending any message to the court on his attendant consequences public safety.
He said the Commissioner of Police, Austin Iwar, has already set up seven specialized units headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police in the department of operations to carry out sporadic and targeted operations in flash point areas within Yenagoa metropolis.
He disclosed that operatives from the force have been dispatched to hot spots on on absence, while the defendant was brought to court by prison officials.
Justice Affen thereafter adjourned the matter to October 18 and directed another police prosecutor who was in court for another matter, Out Urom, to communicate the decision of the court to foreclose the prosecution’s case at the next adjourned date if Abah refused to put up appearance.
Daily Trust reports that the prosecutor had during arraignment told the court that the defendant committed the offence on June 5, at Lugbe village, Abuja. He told the court that the defendant beat up his intelligence gathering and surveillance on miscreants, and warned cultists in the state to renounce their membership, stressing that the command is poised to deal with any act of criminality decisively.
He appealed to members of the public to always volunteer useful information about activities of suspected cultists by utilizing the distress telephone numbers whenever necessary. wife, Doosur Ankyoor, who was eight months pregnant to death.
He said the defendant beat her severely leading to her death and that of the unborn child. He said the offence contravened sections 221, 235 and 236 of the Penal Code. Section 235 deals with preventing a child from being born, and Section 236 causing the death of an unborn child.
Ankyoor had pleaded not guilty to the charge. His counsel, Adama, prayed the court to grant bail to the defendant to enable him take care of the three children left behind by his late wife. However, his bail application was refused.